Top 50 Albums of 2009, part four (20-16)

Okay, so I sort of lied when I said this would be published in five parts. Sue me. It's gonna be seven. Probably. Look, I just don't have time to write about ten albums today; especially those in the top twenty, the big guns, the ones that need more attention. However, instead of just abandoning it altogether, I thought I'd give my loyal readers (sorry, reader) something to chew over this evening. So here's positions 20 to 16. Deal with it.

20. FLOOD OF RED: Leaving Everything Behind

There's an eerie undercurrent running through this record and it's manifested in the unusually scuzzy nature of much of the music. While the guitars are certainly heavy enough to give your head a good seeing to, they also sound distinctly wayward, as if they've been swept up in a hurricane before being unleashed on your poor, unsuspecting ears. 'Leave Everything Behind' gives the impression of a band who are light years ahead of the majority of their peers. There's intensity, diversity and a surprisingly skilled grasp of evocation; at times, you can feel the weight of the their experiences bearing down on the record, like a millstone slung heavily around its neck.

19. WHITE LIES: To Lose My Life

Fortunately for White Lies, while close scrutiny of their lyrics may make you want to reach for the nearest razorblade, simply listening to the music, letting the album wash over you per se, proves to be a far less hazardous and distinctly enjoyable experience. It's little surprise that the nation has taken the band to its collective heart, and this record to number one no less, when you consider that their sound marries the universalist catharsis of Glasvegas with the 80s synth stylings of the Killers, stopping off at Joy Division's miserablist boutique and Editors' angular, wiry guitar store along the way. With such big name influences, it's hard to go wrong; the resultant hybrid is one that transforms delicate melodies into explosive rhythms, firing huge choruses and memorable hooks left, right and centre.

18. THE CRIBS: Ignore the Ignorant

'Ignore the Ignorant' sees The Cribs consolidating the success of 'Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever', taking advantage of the addition of one absolutely superlative guitarist in order to intensify their sound. The album doesn't exactly traverse pastures new; Marr's contributions tend to complement rather than diversify, but this is arguably its greatest asset. Instead of panicking about their position in the indie Zeitgeist, worrying about whether they'll sell records in the current electronica-obsessed climate, The Cribs remain steadfast, doing their own thing, on their own time, on their own terms. The record is a cornucopia of the band's strengths, an aggressive and unkempt cyclone of calamitous guitars, awkward vocals and contradictory melodies. Is it a match for 'Men's Needs...'? The jury's still out, but it's a damn fine record all the same.

17. GALLOWS: Grey Britain

As riotously provocative as 'Orchestra of Wolves', only about ten times as focused, 'Grey Britain' is Gallows' mission statement, their thundering rallying cry to the masses. Amongst a sea of abrasive guitars and infuriated vocals, there is a notable sense of unity, generated by the record's unrelentingly visceral lyrical content. This is 21st Century Britain at its most brutal and most honest; as horrifyingly naked a portrait as you are ever likely to find.

16. GRIZZLY BEAR: Veckatimest

2009's 'Summer record', if you are to believe the hype, but there's far more to 'Veckatimest' than a mere superficial sense of euphoria. The album is doused in myriad shades, shards and shapes of emotion, producing a rather mind-bending listening experience. At times uplifting, and at others decidedly grim, Grizzly Bear's latest will have you returning time and again for more, each revisit uncovering new treasures. Deliciously ethereal.